From my small South African hometown, overlooked by the highveld's dramatic thunderstorms, I dreamt of a wider world. My imagination took flight, buoyed by the wanderlust woven into songs like John Denver's "Calypso" and Neil Diamond's Jonathan Livingston Seagull album.

At 21, I left the continent to explore that bigger world. My career as a geologist has since led me to amazing, remote places, allowing me to live out those childhood dreams in extraordinary fashion.

The accompanying images offer a glimpse into my incredibly fortunate journey—a visual diary of the sights and sounds of this world we are so lucky to inhabit.